wfn.org | General Assembly Council approves PHEWA review

[George Conklin <gconklin@igc.apc.org>]

28-June-1996 
 
GA96001 
 
    General Assembly Council approves PHEWA review 
 
Albuquerque--The General Assembly Council has approved a report to the 
General Assembly that concludes that "the activities of the Presbyterian 
Health, Education and Welfare Association (PHEWA) have been in accordance" 
with the association's memorandum of understanding with the Council's 
National Ministries Division (NMD). 
 
    The review of PHEWA was mandated by last year's Assembly.  A 
commissioners' resolution seeking the defunding of PHEWA failed, but a 
review of its activities since 1992 was ordered. 
 
    An NMD work group reported on its review to the February GAC meeting, 
but critics argued that the review was insufficient.  At the request of NMD 
chair DeAun West, the report was referred back to the work group, which was 
asked to prepare a supplementary report responding to the questions that 
were raised about the initial report. 
 
    In response to those questions, the work group confirmed in its June 28 
report that: 
 
    * only one member of the review group had ever been a PHEWA member and 
her membership had lapsed. 
 
    * PHEWA's financial records are audited annually by an outside 
accounting firm. 
 
    * PHEWA's memorandum of understanding with NMD constitutes 
"accountability" to the division. 
 
    * PHEWA's board of directors has voted to accept no new networks beyond 
the 10 groups that are currently constituent members. 
 
    * criticisms of General Assembly policies and staff members by PHEWA 
fall within memorandum of understanding agreements regarding "responsible 
dissent." 
 
    * $17,000 in unified funds go from the General Assembly mission budget 
to PHEWA programs, with another $91,000 in designated funds going to 
various PHEWA networks. 
 
    Opposition to the report was led by Council member the Rev. Danny 
Massie, who argued that "there is a severe lack of clarity" in the 
memorandum of understanding regarding the accountability of PHEWA to the 
GAC.  "To assert accountability when there is nothing in the documentation 
that specifically supports the concept of accountability as I understand it 
-- it is a mistake for us to say that," Massie said. 
 
    Steve Grace, who served on the review work group for NMD, responded 
that the group "looked at that issue and is comfortable that accountability 
is a fact" of the relationship between PHEWA and NMD. 
 
    A proposed amendment by former General Assembly moderator the Rev. 
David Dobler to remove the accountability references from the report failed 
by a vote of 35-31. 
 
    The report will go to the General Assembly for final approval. 
 
 
by Jerry Van Marter 

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